Improvement in mill-feeding apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

J. H. RE'DFIELD. Mill-Feeding Apparatus. No. 221399.

Pat ented Nov. 18, 18 79.

MPEFERS, PNOTOLATHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. a c.

2 Shets-$heet 2.

J. H. REDPIELD. Mill-Feeding Apparatus.

No. 221,899 Patented Nov. 18, I879. I

IN" h In w FFIC JAMES H. REDFIELD, OF SALEM, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MILL-FEEDING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22 1,899, datedNovember 18, 1879 application filed March 1'3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES H. REDFIELD, of Salem, in the county ofWashington, and in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Mill-Feed; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of agrindingmill having attached thereto my. improved feeding mechanism, andFig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same, the full and dottedlines showing the different positions of the parts employed forregulating the flow of the gram.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The design of my invention is to enable a silent feed to be applied to agrinding-mill in which a stiff spindle is employed; and to this end itconsists, as an improvement in feeding devices for under-runstiff-spindle grinding-mills, and in combination therewith, in a tubewhich incloses the spindle above the runner and a lateral branch tubethat extends to and connects with a hopper located above,

whereby grain from said hopper may be caused to pass into thespacebetween the grindingstones, substantially as and for the purposehereinafter specified.

In the annexed drawings, A and A represent four posts, connectedtogether at or near their lower ends by means of suitable crossbars Band B, and at their upper ends by a metal spider, O, the whole formingthe usual supporting-frame for the operating mechanism of a mill.

Secured upon and extending between two of the cross-bars Bis a metalbar, D, within which and within the center of the spider G is journaleda spindle, 1* that has secured near its longitudinal center a millstone,F, for which said spindle forms a pivotal support.

Secured to or within the posts A, at or just below the upper edge of,the runner F, is a metal plate, G, which encircles said runner andfurnishes a support for an upper stone, H, that has the usual size andform with relation to the like features of said runner.

Closely embracing the periphery of the upper stone, H, is a metal band,I, which is pro vided at three equidistant points with radial arms c,each of which receives a screw, K, that passes downward into the plateG, and furnishes a means whereby the lower or grinding surface 'of saidstone may be made parallel with the upper surface of the lower stone orrunner, F.

The spindle E, at or slightly above the upper face of the runner F, isprovided with a horizontally-projecting shoulder, c, and above the sameis surrounded by a metal tube, L, which tube extends from the spider Odownward nearly to said shoulder, and near its upper end has a branch,l, that extends outward and upward, and at the upper side of said.spider receives the neck of a funnel-shaped hopper, M.

Surrounding the tube L, below the branch I, is a second tube, N, whichloosely incloses the former and is raised or lowered by means of alever, O, that is suspended horizontally within a pivotal centralsupport, 1?, which extends downward from the spider O, and has its innerend connected with said tube, so that by raising or lowering its outerend said tube will be correspondingly depressed or raised.

A screw, Q, passing downward through a correspondingly-threaded openingin the spider (1, has its lower end swiveled within the outer end of thelever O, and furnishes a means whereby said lever may be moved to andsecured in position, as before described.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows, viz: When the mill is inuse grain is admitted to the hopper M, and the tube N then raised abovethe shoulder e sufficiently to permit said grain to escape from the tubeL into the space between the stones, the amount of grain thus escapingbeing governed by the distance to which said tube or gate N is raised.

In consequence of the discharge of grain from the entire circumferenceof the shoulder e, the supply is even and uniform to thegrinding-surfaces, by which means the capacity of the mill is materiallygreater than would be possible were grain fed at one point only.

The angle in the branch tube 1 ch. nges the direction of the downwardcurrent of grain and breaks the force of the same, so as to prevent itfrom crowding into and choking the stones, which result would follow theuse of a hopper that surrounded the spindle and furnished a directpassage to the tube L.

The term stiff-spindle under-run grindinginill, used in thisspecification, is applied to a mill in which the lower stone or runneris rigidly attached to a spindle that projects through the upperstationary stone and has its bearings above the latter and below saidrunner,

at or near its ends.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and rnents of my invention, what1 claim as new 1s- As an improvement in feeding devices for under-runstiff-spindle grinding-mills, and in combination therewith, a tube whichincloses the spindle above the runner and a lateral branch tube thatextends to and connects with a hopper located above, whereby grain fromsaid hopper may be caused to pass into the space between thegrinding-stones, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony thatl claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 19th day of October, 1878.

JAMES H. REDF-IELD.

Witnesses:

DAVID M. ALSPAUGH, AZARIAH LANNING.

